How Are Atoms Ions And Isotopes Different: HOW DO ATOMS, IONS AND ISOTOPES DIFFER FROM EACH OTHER?

Introduction

Atoms, ions and isotopes are all different types of particles. Atoms are the smallest particle in a chemical compound. Ions are charged atoms that result from an atom losing or gaining electrons. Isotopes are atoms of the same element with different weights due to varying numbers of neutrons in each atom

WHAT ARE ATOMS?

Atoms are the smallest unit of an element and they consist of protons, neutrons and electrons. The nucleus is made up of protons and neutrons while the electrons orbit around it.

WHAT ARE IONS?

Ions are atoms that have a charge. They’re formed when electrons are removed from an atom and the remaining electron shell becomes filled with positive or negative charges. For example, when you rub a balloon on your hair, the electrons in your hair move to the surface of your body (your skin). This leaves behind a net positive charge on one side of your body and a net negative charge on the other side. If another person touches this charged object, they will also pick up some of these electrons because like charges repel each other; however, if two oppositely charged objects touch each other then they’ll push each other away due to their opposite charges attracting one another!

WHAT IS AN ISOTOPE?

An isotope is a variation of an element with a different number of neutrons. There are many isotopes for each element, but the number of protons and neutrons determine what chemical properties an atom has.

For example, carbon has six protons in its nucleus. The most common isotope (or form) of carbon is called carbon-12 because it has six protons and six neutrons in its nucleus. Another form called carbon-13 has seven neutrons; this makes it heavier than ordinary carbon atoms because they have eight electrons instead of seven electrons around their nuclei as well as more mass due to having extra neutrons added onto them when they were formed during nuclear reactions within stars millions or billions years ago during their formation process before being ejected into space where they eventually formed into planets like Earth today!

Takeaway:

Atoms are the smallest particles of a chemical element that still have all of the properties of that element. They consist of protons, neutrons and electrons.

Ions are atoms that have lost or gained one or more electrons. This results in a net charge on an atom and can be either positive (cation) or negative (anion).

Isotopes are atoms with different numbers of neutrons than their neighbors within the same element; they have identical numbers of protons but different atomic masses.

Conclusion

So there you have it! Hopefully, this article has given you a better understanding of the differences between atoms, ions and isotopes.